By Nadine Alsaghir

Students who live on or close to campus achieve higher academic performance, a study by four Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) researchers has concluded. 

Published in the journal Housing Studies, the study reviewed records from 750,000 students across four Toronto universities, finding that academic performance tends to decline as distance from campus increases, particularly among lower-achieving first-year students.

According to the study, between seven to nine per cent of students in Toronto live in on-campus housing for a given year. This figure has decreased substantially in recent years due to universities moving away from residence construction as a response to less infrastructure funding since the 1990s.   

The study adds that as a result of these demands, housing prices in Canada increase near university campuses. This compels many to live further away from campus or remain at home, significantly increasing their commuting times. 

Cynthia Holmes, one of the co-authors of the study and the dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM), said her interest in student success and housing motivated her to explore the connection between the two. 

Holmes said the main audience for the study was to inform government policymakers about the importance of supporting students. “[Housing] is a factor that contributes to student success and it should be funded in this way,” she said.  

Students told The Eyeopener the study’s findings echo their own experiences. 

Fuzail Khan, a second-year business technology management student, commutes between an hour and a half to two hours to campus. 

“It drains me a lot because I end up being super tired by the end of [the day], and then end up prioritizing taking a nap over studying because I’m waking up so early to commute,” Khan said. 

Another recent study published in the Journal of Transport & Health found psychological factors that can make commuting a negative experience and affect commuters’ well-being. 

It found commuters were more satisfied when they could reliably predict their commute, regardless of its length, because predictability increased their “perceived autonomy.”

In addition, the TMU researchers’ study found living on campus was associated with a 0.305-point increase in GPA for students beyond their first year. For first-year students, living on campus was associated with an even larger 0.776-point improvement in GPA.  

The study used academic records from 2007 to 2018. They also used data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a survey conducted every three years asking students about their university experience, including how long they spend commuting and their educational satisfaction. 

As stated in a piece written by the researchers in The Conversation, the four researchers of the study from different fields—Kiana Basiri, Shelagh McCartney, Cynthia Holmes and Ximena Rosenvasser —came together through StudentDwellTO, a multi-university initiative. 

The initiative was created by four Toronto university presidents to understand the student experience as a result of unaffordable housing in the city. 

Sylvia Ignas, a second-year occupational health and safety student, said she’s adjusting to commuting just over an hour after living in residence during her first year. She says the lack of study spaces on campus affects her study habits. 

“I can never find [any study spaces] in the SLC, the library is always so packed. My program doesn’t specifically have a lounge, so that makes me go home rather than look for something,” she said. 

Ignas said after lectures, she is already in a “learning groove” and wants to continue studying. The long commute home makes it much harder for her to maintain momentum.

The study found residence programs–such as study groups, academic workshops and residential tutoring–contribute to students’ integration into the university community.

It describes “learning productivity” as the positive outcomes students achieve through the time and effort they devote to studying, interacting with faculty and peers, participating in cultural activities and using on-campus university resources.

Ignas is also second base on TMU’s softball team. She said if she wasn’t in residence during her first year, she would have struggled managing her time. 

The study also states that early academic research on commuter students show that they have a “far less immersive university experience, less socialization and fewer new friends.” 

Kyzen Gudonis, a first-year psychology student, said living on campus has given her a range of social opportunities.

“I’m in residence and I’m just always around, I’m always in the quad, and I’m always just walking around doing errands, always seeing people,” Gudonis said. 

She said if she lived at home, she would be “in and out” of campus, reducing her opportunities to interact with people. 

Gudonis also said residence events have been useful, which made the transition to university less stressful.

“I feel like everyone has a place here if they look for it, just because there’s so much effort being put into sort of creating a community,” she said.

Holmes suggests students who are not living in residence should try to build similar experiences as those provided by residence life. 

“By connecting with others, joining clubs, participating in things where you get to build on the academics that you have and build other skills and knowledge…this is just something that is so valuable for your experience,” she said.